Udofia can't describe winning feeling after '˜perfect' victory

Luton boxer Linus Udofia was left feeling '˜chuffed' after his pre-fight tactics went exactly to plan during a third pro victory over Teodor Lozanov at York Hall on Saturday.
Linus Udofia has Teodor Lozanov on the ropes at York Hall - pic: Natalie MayhewLinus Udofia has Teodor Lozanov on the ropes at York Hall - pic: Natalie Mayhew
Linus Udofia has Teodor Lozanov on the ropes at York Hall - pic: Natalie Mayhew

The 23-year-old was always ahead in the bout, before knocking his opponent down in the fourth round and admitted everything he had done in preparation with coach Terry Stewart came off to a tee.

Udofia said: “I’m really chuffed, as everything that we worked on in the gym came out perfectly.

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“I was just listening to my coach, who said, ‘get out there, feel him out for the first two rounds and then see what you can do in the third and fourth.’

“I went out in the first and second round, felt him out, saw what he’s about, started catching him and then third round, found the magic number which was the body shot.

“I hurt him, tried to take him out, the referee came over, but the bell went, so we couldn’t get it.

“But we carried on doing what we were doing and then when the fourth round came, I went out there and walked him down a little bit.

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“We knew we had his number, we just took our time and my coach said, ‘we know what shot works with him, but you can’t go happy on it, just set it up, take your time and it will come,’ and that’s what I did.

“I waited for it, set it up slowly, went for the body, went to take him out, caught him with a lovely uppercut to the head, hurt him again, hit him to the body, hit him to the head, lifted him up and next thing you know, I put it all together and the referee came over and stopped the fight.”

On the bell, Udofia couldn’t quite put into words just what it felt like to have his arms raised, as he continued: “The feeling was unbelievable as that was my first stoppage in the pro rank.

“I could not explain to you how it feels to know you’re winning, know you’ve just to keep calm, know everyone’s expecting so much of you, your coach has told you this, there’s so much to factor in.

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“And all you have to do is literally listen to what your coach is saying, that’s the only thing that works, and when it’s done, you don’t really know how to act.

“It’s crazy, I was just so happy, I was ecstatic, I wasn’t jumping around, but thinking this is done, brilliant, this is the best feeling, all that fight came down to was listening to my coach.

“He wasn’t a mug either, he caught me in the first few rounds a few times and I thought, ‘you know what, he’s not bad.’ But I’ve got to be sharper than him, it wasn’t strength that stopped him, it was sharpness, it was the right punches, just doing everything at the right time that stopped him.”

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